Keaton Henson and I have been friends since I was 13 - nearly eight years.
When I was 15 and he was 16 we went out for a disastrous period that was mainly me being a stroppy, awful, shouty girlfriend and mainly him bringing me Skittles for breakfast while constantly being wonderful. One particular day sticks horribly in my mind: Keaton, terribly ill, after an argument – one of many - dragged himself to my house in the pouring rain to make up. I told him to turn around and go home and I can still picture him perfectly as I closed the door and stomped off. Years later and I’ve found out he remembers this pretty well too.
While we don’t see each other very often now he is still someone I consider to be one of my greatest friends. In the time I’ve known him he’s gone from being a gangly teenager with awful Charlie-from-Busted highlights, to a gangly young man with facial piercings, to what he is now: a hard working, incredibly talented illustrator, designer and songwriter (still gangly).
Last year he played me the song linked here for the first time and it is honestly the loveliest, most wonderful gesture anyone has ever shown me.
His album is out soon (I’ll update this with actual details when I have them) and I urge everyone to buy it as it really is astounding. Written for someone and never meant to be heard by anyone else it’s a melancholy love letter that I think we’ve all wanted to write at least once. So much of Keaton has clearly gone in to each song.
The album is a beautiful piece of work; musically and physically. There will be 120 CDs to buy, each with a case handmade by Keaton. The sleeves have been numbered and designed by him, even stitched together by the clever boy himself with each different copy featuring it’s own sketch. Mine will be something I treasure forever.
I know this post has been quite vommy but, with a risk of sounding patronising, I am so proud of the person Keaton has become and I’m incredibly glad to count him as a friend.
Sarah Minor by Keaton Henson
My personal favourites:
Nests
and You Don't Know How Lucky You Are by Keaton Henson
www.KeatonHenson.com
